Bipartisan Patch Job for Highway Bill Coming Together

A big fight over how to best avert a crisis in highway construction projects won’t happen before the July Fourth recess, and there might be a deal to avoid the fight altogether.

Senate Finance leaders decided to pause a markup of a package to avert a shortfall in federal highway funding amid optimism there will be a deal before a deadline later in July.

The leadership of the committee rolled out a $7.6 billion bipartisan package that nixes a piece of an earlier proposal from Finance Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., that would increase taxes on heavy vehicles and makes other tweaks suggested by Republicans, with further changes possible as negotiators work to craft a final agreement with both sides of the Rotunda.

Sen. Orrin G. Hatch of Utah, the top Republican on the Finance panel, praised the news that the Senate would engage directly with House Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp, R-Mich., to seek language amenable to both chambers.

“We have to get it right when it comes to funding the highway trust fund, and that means working in a bipartisan and bicameral manner to create a bill that is acceptable to both sides in both chambers,” Hatch said in a statement. “This means real cuts to wasteful and low-priority spending must be included. Being that our ultimate goal is to produce a bill that the President will sign, we must work with House leaders going forward. I am pleased Chairman Camp has agreed to work with us on this endeavor, and I am confident we can find a path forward. This is an urgent matter that must be addressed as soon as possible. I am looking forward to working with Chairman Wyden and Chairman Camp to find a responsible solution that can become law.”

Zere Ochs

June 28, 2014
9:42 a.m.

Unfettered worship of democracy can be dangerous because democracy is often confused with liberty, may be diametrically opposed to liberty, and is often exploited by those pursuing their own egotistical agenda.

Sam Sung

July 5, 2014
11:34 p.m.

Since it is impossible to know which practices will be best suited for unpredictable future circumstances, we mainly depend upon the customs and traditions that have already been proven in the fires of history’s forge.

YONATAN C

July 18, 2014
3:29 p.m.

Both political parties have long forgotten about the more than three million unemployed families still without unemployment benefits since late last December. Over the past seven months, these families have fallen deeper and deeper into financial ruin and poverty. Both parties seem to lack the compassion to even care. While the republicans have fought tooth & nail on behalf of their constituent the Koch brothers, they continued to ignore the poor & unemployed. Congress has approved billions of dollars for the Ukraine, but lacks the moral fiber to help our own people in this country. These families are not going away, they are still in desperate need of a retro extension bill to help them recover from this economic catastrophe. Where are the “family values” which the republicans represent themselves as having?

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About #WGDB

Niels Lesniewski has covered the Senate for CQ Roll Call since January 2010, and more recently as a staff writer and resident procedure guru for Roll Call. Niels holds degrees in both government and theater but sometimes can't tell the difference between the two. @nielslesniewski